Gods and Genes cover art

Gods and Genes

Gods and Genes

Written by: Amber Sher
Listen for free

About this listen

Are you curious about the intersection of health and religion? Wondering how to navigate meaningful conversations as a healthcare provider with your patients as they discuss their own faith with you? Hosted by a certified genetic counselor with a religiously mixed background, Gods and Genes explores how personal beliefs and clinical practices intertwine. We’ll hear a diversity of perspectives: chaplains, spiritual leaders, nonreligious scholars, genetics professionals, and many many more. I hope you’ll stick around for a podcast rooted in curiosity, compassion, and complexity. Whether you’re personally spiritual or simply seeking to better support your patients’ beliefs, Gods and Genes offers thoughtful dialogue, real stories, and a safe space to ask: What are and aren’t we prepared for when talking about the sacred in science?

If you would like to contribute, we'd love to connect! Feel free to fill out our guest interest form here or share your ideas with us at contact@godsandgenes.com or godsandgenes@gmail.com. If you'd like to stay in touch, give us a follow on Instagram @GodsandGenes.

Logo graphic design by Safiah Peeran.

Copyright 2025 All rights reserved. Biological Sciences Hygiene & Healthy Living Physical Illness & Disease Science Spirituality
Episodes
  • #2 Misconceptions about Faith in Healthcare

    #2 Misconceptions about Faith in Healthcare
    Dec 15 2025
    SUMMARY: In this episode of Gods and Genes, host Amber Sher, MS, CGC, delves into the intersection of healthcare and faith, exploring how spirituality can be integrated into medical settings. The episode addresses common misconceptions about chaplaincy, emphasizing the role of chaplains as spiritual care practitioners who provide holistic support beyond end-of-life ceremonies. Amber discusses the importance of understanding patients' spiritual needs and offers strategies for healthcare providers to engage in meaningful conversations about faith. The episode also highlights the significance of religious leaders in patient support systems. If you enjoy what you’re hearing, follow us on Instagram @GodsandGenes. Subscribe, rate, and comment on this podcast as it truly helps other interested individuals find this restorative space (godsandgenes.podbean.com). If you would like to contribute to the podcast, please reach out via email to contact@godsandgenes.com or godsandgenes@gmail.com. Gods and Genes is created, hosted, and produced by me, Amber Sher. Logo Graphic Design is produced by Safiah Peeran. Gods and Genes would not be possible without the incredible support of Gene Pool Media network. Eager for more science-related podcasts to add to your commuting playlist? Check out the shows on Gene Pool Media—there’s over a dozen different shows to choose: https://www.genepoolmedia.com/podcasts CORRECTIONS: @5:31 - “However nearly half of surveyed Americans described being religious or spiritual, but not both.” - This statistic was later verified to be incorrect. It is nearly a third (33%) of Americans who describe being religious or spiritual, but not both, as reported by the Pew Research Center in 2023. I apologize for the inconvenience this may cause. RESOURCES: Sialidosis Information Cure Sialidosis. www.curesialidosis.org. Click here to donate. National Organization for Rare Disorders. (2016, May 27). Sialidosis. NORD | Rare Disease Database. https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/sialidosis/. Featured Paper Richeimer, N., Wilson, K., Petrasek, A., & Weiner, J. (2023). Emunas Chachamim (faith in the sages): A prenatal genetic counseling needs assessment of Orthodox Jewish clergy in Los Angeles. Journal of Genetic Counseling, jgc4.1816. https://doi.org/10.1002/jgc4.1816. Faith in Healthcare Pew Research Center. (2023, December 7). Spirituality among Americans. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2023/12/07/spirituality-among-americans/. Anandarajah, G., & Hight, E. (2001). Spirituality and medical practice: Using the HOPE questions as a practical tool for spiritual assessment. American Family Physician, 63(1), 81–89. Association of Professional Chaplains. (n.d.). Association of Professional Chaplains. https://www.apchaplains.org/. Best, M., Butow, P., & Olver, I. (2015). Do patients want doctors to talk about spirituality? A systematic literature review. Patient Education and Counseling, 98(11), 1320–1328. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2015.04.017. Earl, B. S. W., Klee, A., Edens, E. L., Cooke, J. D., Heikkila, H., & Grau, L. E. (2022). Healthcare Providers’ Perceptions about the Role of Spiritual Care and Chaplaincy Services in Substance Use Outpatient Treatment. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(15), 9441. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19159441. London Health Sciences Centre. (2025, October 21). Truths and misconceptions: Spiritual care. https://www.lhsc.on.ca/news/truths-and-misconceptions-spiritual-care. Puchalski, C. M., Vitillo, R., Hull, S. K., & Reller, N. (2014). Improving the Spiritual Dimension of Whole Person Care: Reaching National and International Consensus. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 17(6), 642–656. https://doi.org/10.1089/jpm.2014.9427. Sagaser, K. G., Shahrukh Hashmi, S., Carter, R. D., Lemons, J., Mendez‐Figueroa, H., Nassef, S., Peery, B., & Singletary, C. N. (2016). Spiritual Exploration in the Prenatal Genetic Counseling Session. Journal of Genetic Counseling, 25(5), 923–935. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10897-015-9920-y. Skinner, M., Mason, S., & Cockling, N. (2022). How Do Healthcare Chaplaincy Spiritual Care Interventions Support Adults’ Mental Health by Integrating Health and Social Care?: A Review of Primary Research Studies Published in English 2010–2019. Health and Social Care Chaplaincy, 10(1), 27–49. https://doi.org/10.1558/hscc.20588 Thompson, A. B., Cragun, D., Sumerau, J. E., Cragun, R. T., De Gifis, V., & Trepanier, A. (2016). “Be Prepared if I Bring It Up:” Patients’ Perceptions of the Utility of Religious and Spiritual Discussion During Genetic Counseling. Journal of Genetic Counseling, 25(5), 945–956. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10897-015-9922-9.
    Show More Show Less
    28 mins
  • #1 Meet the Host of Gods and Genes

    #1 Meet the Host of Gods and Genes
    Nov 14 2025

    In this special pilot episode of 'Gods and Genes,' host Amber Sher, MS, CGC, is turning the tables and being interviewed by Kira Dineen, MS, LCGC, CG(ASCP)CM, host of DNAToday. This conversation explores the intersection of healthcare, spirituality, and genetics. Interviewed by Kira Dineen, Amber shares her personal journey and the inspiration behind the podcast, discussing how her religious background influences her practice. The episode delves into the importance of understanding patients' beliefs in healthcare and the potential for science and spirituality to complement each other.

    Amber shares her personal background growing up in a religiously mixed home (Christian/atheist), her journey through deconstruction and back to a post-deconstruction Christian identity, and why that lived experience drew her to study religion and spirituality in genetic counseling for her graduate capstone at Keck Graduate Institute (KGI). With training in genetic counseling and a background shaped by a religiously mixed upbringing, Amber brings a unique perspective on how to navigate questions of faith in medical settings.

    In this episode, we covered how some patients raise spiritual or religious concerns in a way that can invite us to build rapport. When this does happen, we go through strategies on how to be ready and not reactive. We cover that personal religious or spiritual identity isn't necessary to navigate these conversations. Instead, skills and training can be adapted for the scenario with examples of validation, reflection, collaboration. We go into how chaplains, rabbis, clergy, etc. can be allies who understand medical contexts and patient values. And we cover tricky situations like navigating when religious beliefs go against evidence-based options.

    Gods and Genes is a brand new podcast in the Gene Pool Media network. Gods and Genes is hosted and produced by Amber Sher, MS, CGC. Logo graphic designer is Safiah Peeran. Special thanks to Kira Dineen for all the contributions to this episode. Follow us on Instagram @GodsandGenes. Be sure to subscribe to Gods and Genes on your podcast app, here on Spotify and here on Apple Podcasts, so you don’t miss future episodes exploring belief, meaning, and medicine.

    Post-Show Corrections: At (12:30) Amber shares that in every session religion/spirituality comes up, she meant to say every rotation she went through, not with every patient.

    Relevant Resources:
    • Religion On the Mind podcast hosted by Dan Koch (Spotify, Apple, and Substack)
    • "Utterly Humbled by Mystery" by Father Richard Rohr
    • Rob Bell on Spirituality and Mystery
    • Richeimer N, Wilson K, Petrasek A, Weiner J. Emunas Chachamim (faith in the sages): A prenatal genetic counseling needs assessment of Orthodox Jewish clergy in Los Angeles. J Genet Couns. 2024 Oct;33(5):1045-1058. doi: 10.1002/jgc4.1816. Epub 2023 Oct 25. PMID: 37877233.
    • Thompson AB, Cragun D, Sumerau JE, Cragun RT, De Gifis V, Trepanier A. "Be Prepared if I Bring It Up:" Patients' Perceptions of the Utility of Religious and Spiritual Discussion During Genetic Counseling. J Genet Couns. 2016 Oct;25(5):945-56. doi: 10.1007/s10897-015-9922-9. Epub 2016 Jan 13. PMID: 26758255.
    Show More Show Less
    46 mins
  • Introducing Gods and Genes (Trailer)

    Introducing Gods and Genes (Trailer)
    Nov 6 2025

    This introductory episode to the Gods and Genes podcast introduces us to the focus of a series that navigates the intersection of health and faith. Led by genetic counselor Amber Sher, Gods and Genes delves into how religious beliefs can influence medical decisions and the ethical challenges that arise. This series aims to foster deeper conversations between healthcare professionals and patients of diverse backgrounds If you love hearing powerful stories that connect deeply with integrative health, then join us as we explore the coexistence of science and spirituality.

    Artwork: Safiah Peeran

    Website: godsandgenes.podbean.com

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/godsandgenes/
    Show More Show Less
    3 mins
No reviews yet